I found The Thrill or Orthodoxy to be a very practical and helpful perspective, one that is much-needed. Rather than seeing orthodoxy as a "bad word" that implies religiosity, Wax helps the reader see that it serves as an anchor, allowing for movement (as opposed to rigidity) yet keeps the believer connected to the tenets and traditions that hold our faith strongly in Jesus while resisting an unthoughtful or unexamined drift. I appreciated his balanced way of presenting the concepts. Recommended!

Excellent for church group discussion. I'd be prepared to look up some of the church history mentioned, as it didn't get super detailed; likely because the book covers a lot of ground. It was a fair analysis of where groups can err away from Christian orthodoxy, and a reminder of the freedom we have within its definition..

What if dogma is what brings people together? After all, the pursuit of truth is the only common bond worth arguing about. Disdaining a fixed set of dogmas merely replaces one set of dogma for another, and leaves us blind to just how dogmatically anti-dogma we are.


I loved this book on the study of Orthodoxy. For me the thrill of Orthodoxy is seeing how the word of God comes together in history, present, and our future. Truth is life giving, hope giving, and the foundation of our existence. Wax writes with clarity using contrasts to make his point. Using metaphors always for me makes me want more of the word of God. Starting with what we believe is the first of 10 chapters. Doctrine is important. It is a blessing to those that seek it. It does not save us but it reveals a hope and a God that desires for us to know Him. Doctrine is important because we have a covenant keeping God. Understanding these covenants helps in our walk of faith.

Orthodoxy also gives us a greater understanding of the battle between good and evil. I highly recommend.

A special thank you to Intervarsity Press and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review

I should preface my review by saying that I am not part of the orthodox community, so I am perhaps not the target reader for this book.

That being said, there was a lot in this book that did not resonate with me. There were some good nuggets here and there but overall, it is probably not a book I would read again.

Thrill of Orthodoxy intrigued me, I was wondering about it and this book was relesed in the right time.
Trevin Wax did a good job writing and explaining the topics in an understandable way for people to understand and then you have the basis of biblical Christianity and why these values are invaluable!

Trevin Wax clearly and convincingly argues for adherence to historic Christian orthodoxy with charity, winsomeness, and love. Some Christians veer away from controversy, downplay the importance of doctrine, or place heavy emphasis on taking up the right causes. But Wax shows that the best way forward for Christian people in any age is to embrace that which has been believed and professed by Christian people down through the ages, who must courageously proclaim their convictions, coherently explain their teachings, and act from a rock-solid foundation. This book not only contains an important, helpful case for doctrine that is vital for the church at any period in history, but is filled with helpful illustrations that will assist a broad range of people grasp what is at stake now, and in the future. This is a book I'll recommend to others unreservedly and gladly, even to those who may disagree with Wax's positions, for it contains an argument that needs to be heard, and hopefully be heeded, to the benefit of the church.

Very enjoyable and inspiring. A refreshing take and sufficient challenge for the Church today to renew orthodoxy as a means of re-grounding our faith and position in the community. I would love to read more from Wax and look forward to future publications!

The question you have to ask yourself when picking up this book is, why not another book? It takes 1/3 of the book to move beyond prologue, when it finally gets interesting and discusses a few examples of important orthodoxy.

Waxes modern day analogies to orthodoxy’s importance are compelling but to be honest, too frequent and by the end, reductive. I have a feeling this book will be enjoyed by those who enjoy preaching to the choir, but those who have moved beyond the easy answer of adhering to orthodoxy, might find that Wax to barely moves the needle. He does not provide what would otherwise be an interesting history of major theological controversies. He does not delve into the deep philosophical reasons for orthodoxy’s importance. He doesn’t even really define orthodoxy. I’m left wondering what this book actually says that is meant to convince a fringe Evangelical about how to believe or what to believe.

So again, why this book?

As someone that is just beginning to recognize the value of orthodoxy, I was so excited to have an opportunity to read The Thrill of Orthodoxy by Trevin Wax. This book is exactly what I hoped it would be—a book to help the reader recognize the joys of having a faith rooted in a deep and rich history filled with timeless truth that spans all eras and across the globe. There is no context in which the gospel cannot be applied and bring freedom and salvation.

Wax defines orthodoxy as “the foundational truths, consistent with the Scriptures, upon which Christians through the ages have demonstrated agreement.” In this book, he aims to show the reader the goodness of orthodoxy while juxtaposing it against its lesser alternatives.

Some say recite doctrine and protect it from the culture at all costs. Others say abandon doctrine and adapt Christianity to a changing world. Orthodoxy says that take old truth—truth that’s been the foundation of the Church for nearly 2,000 years—and apply it to new situations within the Church and the culture. This is what the apostles and early Church leaders did when fighting against heresy and error. They looked at the truth that never changes—the Word of God—and mined it for application to their specific cultural situations. And just as the Church has leaned on orthodoxy throughout its history, we must continue to do so in order to truly help others know Christ. Highly recommend!!

I received a copy of this book for free from NetGalley and IVP in exchange for this honest review.

Confession: I geeked out _a lot_ :D at a reference in this book to Calvinball. Calvin and Hobbes fans are automatic kindred spirits in my book! LOL! (And same with Tolkien--so I feel like the wins in _The Thrill of Orthodoxy_ just keep coming!)

Wax does an amazing job at making history interesting. I'm a history nut anyway, but so appreciated his look back at church and orthodoxy. The major creeds (Apostles', Nicene, and Athanasian) have stood for hundreds of years (or longer)--a humbling yet encouraging reminder at God's faithfulness, and that absolute truth does exist + is worth fighting for. I also appreciated the reminder that the Bible does not compartmentalize life ... it applies to all of life. If we are not living out our faith in every arena--why not?

Wax opens a door of communication here, and invites the reader to dialogue with others within and without the faith. (Maybe Calvinball will be a good conversation opener?)

This read truly gave me a thrill. (And I promise it wasn't just because of my own nostalgic love of my childhood comic strips, or for Middle-Earth.)

5/5 stars.

I received an eARC of the book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

In the Thrill of Orthodoxy, we are encouraged to be reawakened concerning the truths of the Christian faith, and its significance in the face of our culture and false teaching. We must guard ourselves against drifting from the truth and from temptations to alter it by holding to proper orthodoxy, and how and why we should do so. As stated in the forward, “What is ultimately at stake in preserving orthodoxy is the truth about God, the gospel, and ourselves. And what is thrilling about orthodoxy is the enduring relevance of its truth.”

My biggest takeaway reading this book is the importance of passing on the truths of orthodoxy as well as skills to discern truth in our current culture and whatever it may become; likewise, to also seek to inspire the younger generation to understand the importance of and desire orthodoxy not only in knowledge but in practice and with love.

There were many nuggets throughout each chapter of the book that I took in deeply and gleaned so much from. A few of these were:

“Nothing could be more important for confessing our faith in Jesus than a proper understanding of the One whose name we bear.”

“Christians care about getting the details right because we recognize the consequences of getting them wrong.”

“The beating heart of orthodoxy begins with the childlike wonder of conversion, and the heart of orthodoxy beats on as we celebrate and see the world through the conversion of others.”

For me, the book’s later chapters were mostly better than the earlier ones. While reading the first half I was ready to rate it 3 stars; however, later chapters led me to raise it to 3.5 stars. My favorite sections of the book were the discussions of the Church fathers and their working through doctrine (such as Augustine and Pelagius) as well as the chapter on heresy.

I received a review copy of this book for free from Netgalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. All opinions are my own.

Wax begins this book with a paraphrased quote from J.R.R. Tolkien on the nature of humans being so quickly we are to have had enough of "good" and then to become "discontented and restless". This is true of human nature in general and doubly true of the average modern Christrian's interest in the Great Tradition of Orthodox Christian faith - familiarity has bred disinterest and contempt. Thankfully, things are changing and Trevor Wax is one voice, amongst a growing group of ministers and writers, challenging us to look again with wonder and see the beauty of our ancient faith. There are many great quotes in this book of voices, ancient and modern, that are brought in as conversation partners and they add to the intellectual weight and enthusiasm expressed by the author. This is a book that I would recommend to all church ministers, leaders and those who thirst for more than the insipid, watered down offerings of much of the contemporary western church. A worthwhile read that will encourage and inspire readers.

Thoughts and opinions are all my own, thank you to InterVarsity Press and Netgalley for this ARC.

I requested this book, and it was my mistake, I’ll be honest.
I was thrilled by the title, and super thrilled to read it, and then I sat down and… frowned as the author started by quoting Tolkien. I think Tolkien is all right, so I plowed on… then came the “real” red flag so to speak, in using St. Augustine as an example (though without the saint part, mind), and soon thereafter it came “I’m an evangelical Protestant”.
Right.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against either Tolkien or St. Augustine, I do however struggle with the concept of discovering the “thrill” of orthodoxy, from someone who is not Orthodox.

The author states that: “I am an evangelical Protestant who believes more than what the ancient creeds and early councils profess, but not less.” (chapter 1)

Yes, but that more isn’t held off in some separate corner of your mind. It influences how you see orthodoxy as well, naturally. If you identify as a Protestant, you are reading orthodoxy through a Protestant lens.

And you can do that, no one should stop you, it’s just that for me as a reader it wasn’t what I was after and I wish I would have done more due diligence before requesting the book. Had I known it was by a Protestant I could’ve just left well enough alone.

Now, you can’t unrequest a book, so I thought I would try to read it anyway.
Was I pleasantly surprised? Not sure, I had mixed feelings throughout and though I thought the author made some good points, I couldn’t get over my initial hesitance.

As mentioned, there were good points. For example, he points out, especially towards the end with this pithy line - “Wed the world and you’ll soon be widowed” p. 452, the dangers and trappings of getting too caught up in the this-worldly.

He states that: “Every generation faces the temptation to attach Christianity to a political or social program, whether on the right or the left or somewhere in between. But as soon as we begin judging orthodoxy by the standards of the world, instead of judging the world by the standards of orthodoxy, we are bound to downplay and eventually deny aspects of the faith that don’t fit our times.”

He also, early on, points out that the differences between denominations are significant and not to be reduced into some pointless, faux, unity. Stating that his purpose is not to “adjudicate between confessions of different denominations”, but then he states that his goal is “to focus on the fundamentals of the faith, the underlying unity expressed by the ancient creeds that faithfully sum up biblical teaching, the foundation on which all the later confessions build (some better than others).”

Obviously, I’m sure he realizes that “some better than others” is like waving a red flag in front of a bull. In theory I don’t disagree with the statement per se, however it did quickly remind me of why I immediately hesitated a couple of lines above.

Bottom line for me is that I struggle with his claims that: “Again and again, orthodoxy insists that we dispense with either-ors and devote ourselves to both/ands”.

His statements that orthodoxy is “more open-minded than the mystic or spiritualist who is duty-bound to believe in spirits, ghosts, or whatever miracle they say has taken place. We believe in both science and miracles.”

How orthodoxy stays “broad when the heretics go narrow”

How “we don’t have to choose between an ‘inclusive’ church or an ‘exclusive’ church…” … that one should “refuse” both those who wants to make it more inclusive (missing the accent on repentance) and those who wants to make it more exclusive (barring faithful brothers and sisters) and also refuse to “narrow fellowship to total agreement. Here again, there is both.” (p. 243)

Again, in theory, I don’t disagree with any of the above statements, I just can’t get over the feeling that they mean very different things to us/are interpreted quite differently, and thus in essence become slightly meaningless when stated so generally.

There were parts of this book that I genuinely enjoyed, and that I think many readers can get a lot of worth out of, but at the same time my boundaries told me that this wasn’t the source for me. I like that this book exists, I like that the title is out there and bold, and I hope that a lot of people will find strength and thrill through it. It just wasn’t for me, I will return to Orthodox sources, and as I’m just repeating myself now, I’ll round out with a quote I liked:

“Orthodoxy doesn’t slow down progress; it upends the world’s view of progress all together.” p. 452

All in all, mixed bag for me, but I think others can get a lot out of this text.

It was the reputation of and experience with the author that convinced me to take a chance on his book The Thrill of Orthodoxy. Trevin Wax’s past work with The Gospel Coalition and in bible studies made me confident that a work by him would be theologically correct and worth my time. I was rewarded with an encouraging read. The first thirty percent of the ebook presents the reasoning of why orthodoxy is important. Many sections of it opened my eyes to the significance of studying for ourselves and not just leaning on what others have to say. Wax gives reasons why we should know the doctrines in which our beliefs are grounded. For how often are we asked why we believe so deeply? What serious thought do we give to someone who cannot answer these simple questions? Several creeds are included in the book so that we can refer to them with his thoughts. However, the meat of the book came further in, when Wax pointed out specific examples of incorrect doctrine. He provided knowledge as to why it was wrong and the correct doctrine that is orthodox. Reading this book is challenging, but I consider it a blessing to use my brain on God’s Word. It is an encouragement in Christian faith, with many quotes that I will hold onto for guidance throughout my life. Thank you to NetGalley for making me aware of this work and a free ecopy in return for a review.

The words thrill and orthodoxy don't often seem compatible but in this book Trevin Wax sets out to and I think succeeds in explaining why orthodoxy is and must be thrilling. It isn't a long book so worth reading if you don't have time for a massive theological tome. It brings orthodoxy to life and shows its transformative nature when examined and applied correctly.

I fist heard the author at a conference I went to in early September. I was intrigued about this book and was interested to read it. This quote gives a good idea of the content. "The adventure of orthodoxy requires us to embark on the journey with humility, seeing religion not as something we construct, but as divine revelation we receive. Discovering truth is the great thrill of orthodoxy."

This book explains to Christians why they want to discover the great truths of the Bible and the writings of the major church fathers. In this area where even many "Christians" reject the major doctrines of the faith, this book is essential reading for church leaders, parents, and anyone interested in growing their knowledge of the doctrines of the faith.

Solid book by Trevin Wax. Nothing groundbreaking, but he calls for Christians to find the thrill of holding to an orthodox theology. The book begins by working through the early church creeds and how formative they are. The creeds serve as an interpretive lens for orthodoxy. Wax does a nice job of developing the conservative principle of holding on to tradition. Many Christians will enjoy reading this book.

In choosing to read this book I basically concur with the author's standpoint, despite being a lifelong agnostic myself (but that's another story). The Truth is indeed the Truth, however unpalatable or fantastic it may seem to this 'modern' secular world. where miracles seemingly never happen.

Like the author, I would contend that the Truth of God's creation is all around us, all the time; it is our viewpoint which has changed, blighted by living the way we do. But it is up to the individual as to whether they believe it or not, not for me or anyone else to judge.

He rightly points out that there is much that will lead us astray. This battle has been going on for millenia. What I did find a little tedious was some of the examples of how we can deviate, like the those who have different approaches to church going. Perhaps it's because I don't go to church.

Yet he is fan of Chesterton, Lewis, like me. From writers like these, the author too appears have that thrill of coming home to the Truth. I like the way he equates it to being offshore, losing sight of where you left your towel on the beach.

For me it was things like the scientific examination of the Shroud, which, far from proving it was a fake, or a fraud, instead confirmed every last thing we read about in the Gospels - but that's just my opinion.

So in all I did enjoy the book but I suspect it is most suitable for those types who have already realised the Truth, not for those who are wavering or materialistic. In that regard I think the writer has got it right, just as those church fathers from nearly two thousand years ago. Heresy, far from an attempt to enlighten, is in fact an assured method to destroy.

“When you lose your place in the history of redemption, you no longer have…the ability to escape the immediacy of the moment and look imaginatively at the present from a perspective that is informed by the past.”

“The Thrill of Orthodoxy” by Trevin Wax is a thought-provoking walk through the historical doctrines of the Christian Church. In a culture that deems anything old, as archaic or outdated, Wax pulls back the curtain and reveals the real thrill is not in charting your own way or carving a religion in the shape of yourself and your personal philosophy. The thrill is in a faith that is deeply rooted in history, has stood the test of time and does not change with every wind of the current era.

While I didn’t agree with everything doctrinally, I loved the overarching theme, the emphasis on being rooted in church tradition as well as the recurring idea of not allowing your faith to grow stale or stagnant…true Chrisitiany is a thrill; an adventure that should be filled with delight and wonder at God’s grandiose redemptive work in our world.

4.5 stars. In just under 200 pages, Trevin Wax encourages us to wonder, reaffirm, reform, and stand fast in the thrilling beauty of the faith, once delivered to the saints. In a shifting world, few things are certain, but the Word of God is. Truth doesn't change. We are invited into community with the Church across time and space, knowing that the same Holy Spirit who works in us works in works or has worked in them as well. I don't know that I agree 100% on all the points of ancient tradition, but I think the overarching philosophy is sound. When weighing the value of steadfast truth against the newest philosophies, there's a heaviness that comes with time-testing. Wax reminds us of what's at stake, warns us against the dangers of even subtle heresy, and exhorts us to take stock, lest we fall or drift. Good read. Challenging enough to take some time to get through. But a solid book.

Thanks to NetGalley for loaning me an eARC for review. All opinions are my own. A positive review was not required.